Ice cubes currently find wide application in the beverage industry, primarily for cooling beverages. Ice cubes are produced domestically by filling an ice cube tray with water and placing it in a freezer. Many domestic freezers are nowadays also equipped with an icemaker, which produces ice cubes automatically and stores them in a bin, from which they can be dispensed directly into a glass. Ice cubes are also produced commercially and sold in bulk; these ice cubes are often cylindrical, and may also have holes through the centre.
Examples of domestic and commercial ice cube machines are described in GB 1 498 205 and GB 2 387 896, for instance.
In addition to the mere cooling effect, ice cubes can also be produced in various colours and shapes in order to enhance the aesthetic properties. In this respect, WO 00/17589 describes a process for producing coloured ice cubes, wherein a colouring agent is added and mixed with pre-treated water, which is then frozen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,337 discloses a system for the preparation of coloured ice cubes in various shapes. By means of a control unit, a selected colour is dispensed from a dye reservoir into a mixing chamber, mixed with water and chilled. The coloured water is then supplied to an ice tray to afford ice cubes of various shapes.
WO 2004/081467 relates to an ice-making apparatus for the preparation of coloured and/or specially shaped ice cubes. The apparatus comprises a water delivery means, a colouring station to impart colour to the water, a freezing station for forming blocks of coloured ice and a storage means for presenting the coloured ice. This ice-making apparatus allows for the simultaneous preparation of ice cubes of different colours: The water is introduced into an array of colouring stations, each comprising a colouring agent and optionally a heating means, and the coloured water thus obtained is supplied to an array of freezing stations, where the ice cubes are formed.
It is a problem of the present invention to provide an apparatus for a simple, efficient, and cost effective preparation of coloured ice cubes, and in particular for the preparation of ice cubes in two or more different colours.